About Damn Time
by MissMadWorld
Summary: Roy is in a bar trying not to think about Ed when a certain blonde alchemist arrives with company. Can Roy watch Ed leave with someone who isn't him? This fic is structured very loosely around the song "Sometime Around Midnight" by the Airborne Toxic Event. It's not really a songfic, but if you know the lyrics to that song you'll definitely see how the plot follows along...at leas


Roy Mustang had been sitting solemnly at the bar for hours. The quiet din of the other patrons created a satisfying white noise in contrast to the turmoil of his thoughts. Some local band played softly from a small stage in the back corner and the meager crowd offered them appreciative and encouraging noises when a song came to an end.

It was nearly midnight and already several attractive young women and one bold man about Roy's own age had approached him. Ever the charmer he sent each of them away flustered and blushing madly. While the attention was flattering and the occasional glimpse of a blue military uniform was comforting, Roy hadn't entered the dimly lit little dive in search of company. No, he had come to nurse tumblers of scotch somewhere other than his own kitchen table for once. Tonight the normally friendly amber liquid wasn't taking the edge off quite as well as he had hoped it would. The general closed his eyes and ground his back teeth together, pressing the cool glass to his temple.

Suddenly from the door there came an exuberant tumble of laughter. The familiar ring and cadence cut through the babbling of the crowd like a knife. The band had picked up a steady rhythm that matched its pace to the thundering of Roy's pulse in his ears. As was his habit, Roy had taken a seat from which he could easily see the door…he wished then that he had chosen a stool where he would have a better chance of remaining unseen. All of a sudden the lights over the bar top felt like they were all pointed directly at him. Entirely without his permission, Roy's gaze found the source of the confident voice.

Edward had entered the bar with his brother and several other people around their age, but he alone was hedged in against the door and caught in the narrow beam of an overhead light—it made him appear to be the only person in the room. His braid hung artfully across his shoulder, and the messy flaxen bangs practically glowed under the torturously flattering light. He had forgone the typical black sleeveless shirt in favor of a white button down, which he had left open just enough to expose the gentle slope of his collar bones. Of course the standard leather pants left nothing to the imagination. There was mischief in Ed's eyes, but it stuttered when they chanced to meet Roy's. The piano gave a melancholy sigh that complimented Ed's acknowledging smile a little too well.

Ed looked away first, squinting and blocking the bright light with a raised arm as he pushed his group toward a table bossily. Roy turned back to his drink, slipping on a mask of self-possession. Occasionally he thought he could feel eyes on him, but he focused on maintaining his casual, unaffected façade. He caught himself seeking out Ed's voice over the clamor of the music and the crowd, glancing toward Ed's table where he was of course making himself the center of attention. Roy worked very hard to ignore how close Ed was sitting to the unfamiliar brunette to his left. A scowl threatened the corner of his mouth each time he caught a glimpse of Edward turning, leaning in close to the boy.

Another young woman was approaching Roy…he might've seen her a mile off had his thoughts not been focused elsewhere, but as it stood she caught him by surprise.

"Wanna buy me a drink?" the raven-haired vixen purred at him, eyes half-lidded. She sat backwards on her stool, letting her weight fall back onto the bar where she propped her elbows.

"Another time," he shot her a flashy smile. Unfazed, she leaned in close to whisper in his ear and one long curl brushed across Roy's chest.

"Oh, come on. Don't play hard to get with me." She pulled back to let a lingering predatory smile creep across her full red lips. Casually he swept the tendril of hair back over her bare shoulder, letting his fingertips trail along her collarbone intimately.

"I'll buy you the drink, but I'm afraid my mind is otherwise occupied, and that I wouldn't make for very interesting company tonight."

Her elegant eyebrow arched skeptically.

"Whiskey, then."

"You heard the lady," he rumbled. Without taking his eyes from her, he slid several cenz toward the barkeep. From a small handbag she produced a crisp business card, which she tucked neatly into his breast pocket before collecting her drink and slipping away from the bar.

Roy rubbed at his temples, suddenly sick of the bar scene. Tossing back the last of his scotch, he deliberately averted his gaze from the table where he knew Ed was sitting with his friends as he spun around on his stool and stood to make his exit.

Maybe it was the scotch, or maybe it was the blonde pipsqueak unexpectedly standing in his way that threw off his balance, but the room was suddenly spinning. Roy pinched his eyes closed and caught the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger to push the dizziness back. Regaining his composure he offered a civil smile.

"Can I help you, Fullmetal?"

A wicked grin carved across Ed's features as he stood there casually, one hand slipped into the hip pocket of those indecent pants as the other clutched his drink close.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Colonel Bastard. And how are you this evening?" His tone positively dripped with sarcasm.

"_Pissed off, tired, disagreeable, lonely," _he thought grimly.

"Fine," he said instead.

"Sure," Ed replied with a skeptical roll of the eyes. "I wont hold you up if that number is burning a hole in your pocket, but Al seemed to think it would be rude not to at least come over and say 'hey' before I take off."

"_So, he _was _watching," _Roy mused to himself.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, one of Al's university friends doesn't care for the band or something so I said I'd walk him home. I thought they sounded alright, but whatever." Ed shrugged.

"I'm surprised you can hear them from way down there," Roy snickered darkly. Ed had given up on the tantrums in the last few years, but he knew the younger man was still sensitive about his height despite the fact that his eyes were finally level with Roy's lips. Roy chalked one up for himself on his mental scoreboard as Ed's knuckles tightened around his glass.

Ed took a menacing step closer…too close. His golden eyes were huge and angry and Roy could sense the insults and threats that were just aching to tumble from Ed's lips. Roy's senses were overwhelmed with the smell of sunshine and clean metal and lavender shampoo—in an instant he was back in his office with Ed pinned against the door as Roy sealed their lips together for the first time. The way Ed's body had looked curled against his own that morning filled his mind…had it really already been three months since they had their one night together?

Apparently Ed decided against making a scene. He simply shook his head with a soft, amiable huff and turned back toward his table.

"Have a nice night, you insufferable bastard." His voice wavered in that sweet, sincere way that always tugged at Roy's heart.

He was walking away. Again. It was his own fault, but the General suddenly felt hopeless, homeless, lost. He turned back to the bar and paid for one more drink. He looked up just in time to see Ed sling his arm around the waist of the brunette from the table. Ed caught his eye, gave a sloppy salute and ducked out of the bar into the amber lamplight.

Roy's blood was boiling, stampeding through his veins. He fisted his hand and pressed it into the coiled knot of his stomach.

"You alright, buddy?" the bartender asked as he pushed Roy's change back across the bar, "you look like you saw a homunculus or somethin'."

He sat there staring into his untouched glass, feeling sorry for himself; feeling like the world was falling down around his ears for he didn't know how long. He glanced toward Al and the remaining students at the table before pulling himself out of his seat and heading toward the door, change and drink forgotten.

"_I just have to see him again." _The thought ran through Roy's mind over and over again as his hurtled down the streets of Central toward the small townhome where the Elrics lived together. There was no guarantee that Ed had gone there, he had no plan, nothing to say…gradually he slowed and veered off into an alley only a few blocks away from the townhouse. He pressed his back to the cool brick wall and let his head tip back.

"What the hell am I doing…" his eyebrows knit together and again he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Roy's eyes opened slowly. If he had been paying attention he would've heard Ed coming up the far end of the alley.

"Where's your friend?" Roy's voice was gravely.

"Walked him home, what do you think?" Ed leaned up against the wall at Mustang's side.

"Well you two seemed friendly enough back at the bar. I figured you'd be out late."

Ed ducked his head with a smirk.

"Even if I did fuck him it wouldn't be any of your business, you god-damn bastard."

Roy whipped around to face Edward angrily.

"You think I don't know that, Fullmetal?" His voice was gruff…it was full of the same forced-sternness he so often used at the office.

The blonde stood his ground with steely eyes. There was fire in them, and all of the reasons they couldn't just be together stampeded through Roy's furious mind. He hated the military, hated himself for putting his political aspirations over his unbridled attraction to the young alchemist before him.

"Well if you know, then what the hell are you doing outside my house? Call that girl from the bar, I'm sure the military would approve of you fucking _her."_

Roy's gloved hand shot forward. Ed obviously expected a punch and moved to parry, but instead Roy snatched his automail wrist mid-block and pushed it assertively against the building against which Ed found himself suddenly caught. For half a heartbeat Roy wondered why Ed always seemed to think Roy was going to hit him, but the thought was derailed when the younger alchemist made to fight back with his left hand. Roy caught him again by the wrist and forced it back so that Ed's knuckles scraped against the stonework at his ear.

Without hesitation, Roy was then pressing his lips to Ed's. He was desperate, hungry for the gasp that escaped the young man before him. A satisfied rumble echoed deep in Roy's throat as their hips rocked together.

The kiss was broken all too soon when Ed swept his leg into Roy's own, forcing his knee to buckle. Edward threw his weight forward reluctantly to dislodge his commanding officer.

"Fuck off, Mustang. Go home and work on your damned political schemes. You're not gonna get to be the fuhrer by standing here fucking around with me, remember?" he was panting, flushed. His voice was quiet, his tone low and positively _livid. _Stomping away toward the end of the alleyway he shook his head and pulled at his messy bangs in frustration.

"I can't."

The low, rumbling timbre of his voice stopped Edward dead in his tracks.

"Can't what?" he spat.

"I can't…concentrate. I've been trying, for weeks now I've been trying to focus on my goals instead of _you _but I _can't. _ It's fucking maddening." He was rubbing the bridge of his nose again.

"So, what? You finally realized I'm worth sneaking around with?"

Roy looked up from under his bangs with a dark and deadly serious expression.

"Apparently you're worth risking it all."

Ed advanced on him menacingly. He caught Roy's lapels roughly in his mismatched grip, and for a moment Roy was sure he was about to taste automail. While the two may once have been an even match, he was sure that after so many years of scrambling for his life Ed would now be able to best him in a physical fight. He braced himself for impact, but refused to look away.

Ed's lips met his with bruising force.

"About damn time," Ed panted before hauling him in for more.

Roy's mouth moved over Ed's, their tongues engaged in an intricate battle for supremacy. Roy caught Ed by the braid and tilted his head back to nip at his swollen lips.

They half-dragged each other out of the alley and up to Ed's front step. Roy pulled back to give Ed a chance to unlock the door, but wasn't surprised when Ed simply kicked it in and let it swing shut haltingly behind them…apparently he would fix it later.

"Alphonse?" Roy choked out as Ed tripped him to the ground to straddle his waist.

"I'm sure he'd be flattered, but I'm afraid I'm not willing to share you, Mustang."

The older man flipped them bodily and pinned Ed to the ground and set about laying scandalous kisses along Ed's neck.

"You," _kiss,_ "know," _bite_, "what I meant," _kiss_.

"Staying with those friends from the bar," Ed managed before a low groan tore from his throat. With that Roy let go of the last of his inhibitions. His hips rocked forward against Ed's and again his long fingers wove into the plait of golden hair to pull back. Ed still whimpered with delight the way Roy remembered…Ed liked it rough.

Ed reached up to fumble at Roy's blue jacket and was rewarded with his commanding officer's bared chest when Roy shucked both the jacket and deep blue button-down in one go. Mismatching hands roamed the expanse of Roy's chest, complimenting the hungry look in his golden eyes.

Roy scowled down at Ed's white button-down like it had offended him in some way.

"I like your black shirt better."

With that he tore it open, sending buttons ricocheting around the room. Like a man possessed he dove into the task of marking Ed's collarbones as his own with teeth and tongue and lips. Each of them clutched at the other desperately, savagely until the remainder of their clothes were scattered across the room. Ed's bare shoulder blades dug into the rough carpet beneath him and he savored the burn.

When their pulsing erections glanced together for the first time in months, contented sighs rang in their ears. Roy took them together in his large hand and pumped with a firm, steady rhythm until Ed's back was arching up off the floor and he couldn't control the way his breath tore itself from his lungs. The young Major whined like a suffering animal when Roy pulled away before he found his end.

His anguish didn't last long, much to his relief. Roy had produced a small slip of paper with a delicately worked alchemical array, apparently from his now-lost jacket, and activated it to forge from the moisture in the air a crude lubrication, which he immediately set about applying to Ed's taught entrance.

"Handy trick," Ed teased.

"Always be prepared, Fullmetal." He pressed his finger in torturously slow, and Ed lost the capacity for coherent speech. As Roy added another finger he curled them up to brush the sensitive bundle of nerves he knew he would find there. The blonde beneath him writhed, begging incomprehensibly.

"Tell me what you want, Edward."

His eyes snapped open, burning with determination. Ed focused all of his remaining mental faculties on four crucial words.

"Fuck me, you bastard."

With that Roy removed his deft fingers and replaced them at Ed's entrance with something bigger. As much as he loved to tease Edward, Roy couldn't be fucked with holding back, not tonight. He hitched Ed's automail leg up around his waist (unnecessary guidance, since the Major was already halfway there) and pressed the head of his cock steadily in. Both men released wanton groans, like having been deprived of this sensation had been anguish to cruel to bear.

Ed's fingernails and the cool metal of his automail digits dug into Roy's shoulders with no consideration for the searing red abrasions that followed them. Roy clenched his teeth when Ed's bit into the soft flesh at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He had worn through the very last of his restraint and began thrusting heavily into the blonde before him the moment he bottomed out.

The sight of the most powerful alchemist he had ever met sprawled out and begging beneath him filled Roy with a satisfying feeling of power. He felt strong and wanted in a way that only Ed could ever inspire. Ed tilted his head back against the carpet, exposing the lean column of his throat; the General couldn't resist the temptation to wrap the ungloved fingers of his left hand gently around it as he pushed in again and again. Ed leaned into the weight of his palm with a satisfied moan and looked Roy straight in the eye with a euphoric expression.

Each time Roy's aching member brushed against Ed's prostate the blonde would suck in a hitched breath and moan delightfully. With the sounds that boy made, Roy was surprised he could maintain any semblance of control. He released Ed's throat only to take up a firm grip on his neglected erection, which had been happily trapped between their rutting bodies.

He stroked Ed until he was coiled like an iron spring and in a moment of what Roy would only ever describe as bliss, they tumbled over the edge together, each screaming the other's name.

…

Hours later in the dim light of Central's early morning, after a sleepless night of debauchery, the Major and the General lay sprawled out across one another on Ed's creaking bed. Ed's hair was a wild tangle around his face, and Roy couldn't suppress a smile when the young alchemist asked deviously, "So…how good are you at keeping secrets?"


End file.
